Sunday, September 11, 2011

Human growth hormone is a natural hormone secreted by the pituitary gland to stimulate the body’s production of an insulin-type growth factor, which promotesthe body’s natural growth. As a natural consequence of aging, the production ofhuman growth hormone decreases. This natural decline fuels the theory that injections of HGH could reverse the effects of aging. Unlike injections of synthetic or natural human growth hormone, oral HGH releasers use a blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbal extracts that supposedly stimulate the body’s natural production of growth hormone. These supplements are not illegal to sell as a dietary supplement, as they contain no actual growth hormone. There is no guaranteed vitamin/mineral/herbal blend/amino acid combination that will consistently and effectively work to stimulate production of HGH in everyone. The amino acids commonly used to stimulate HGH production are L-glutamine in combination with L-arginine. There is a lack of studies on the effects of these two amino acids, so their effectiveness is mostly anecdotal, and some studies have shown that in people over the age of 40, these amino acids would have little to no effect in increasing HGH production. Effects vary from individual to individual. Using these amino acids as HGH releasers has its downside. Continued use can diminish any effect. In young people, the use of L-glutamine and l-arginine can cause an excessive level of HGH.

The HGH releasers companies sell usually contain versions of these amino acids. Other HGH releaser products are scams designed to prey on the public desire for a fountain of youth. In 2003, manufacturer of HGH releasers Nature’s Youth was notified by theFDA that their product claims were unsubstantiated and therefore illegal. The company then destroyed approximately 5,700 boxes of their product, which claimed to increase the body’s immune functions, improve physical performance, speed up recovery from physical training, and increase cardiac output. When asked to substantiate these claims, the company cited a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a study that has been denounced by the journal itself for being misused by companies to promote the sale of HGH. The human growth hormone releaser was promoted by Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. Similarly named supplement company Nature’s Bounty was forced to pay $250,000 in redress as part of a settlement with the FTC. The FTC ordered the company to pay the respondents and forced it to provide substantiation for any future claims made in the advertisement of health supplements. The health store Great Earth was also prohibited from making claims for their brand of human growth hormone releasers. According to the complaint, Great Earth did not have any proof that their brand of HGH releasers could, as advertised, allow the user to: “Lose while you snooze. When you go to sleep, GHR Formula-P.M. goes to work burning away fat, building lean muscle tissue and firming." The FTC ordered that Great Earth must substantiate any claims that a product will aid the user in losing weight or fat, or that a product will strengthen any body organ or function.

In a consumer health brochure produced by the FTC, the FDA warns that there is no evidence to support any claims that products advertised to contain or boost the production of HGH have any anti-aging effects. In all the cases brought against companies that produce HGH releasers, not one of the companies has been able to substantiate its claims of increasing natural HGH production. The effects of these products are still up for debate within the scientific community.

The pituitary gland produces growth hormone, which helps maintain organs, muscle growth, brain function, energy, metabolism, and tissues, as well as fueling the body’s natural growth. For people who have growth hormone deficiency, injections of synthetic growth hormone can increase muscle mass and bone density, decrease muscle fat, and increase exercise capacity. One of the only other reasons human growth hormone is prescribed is to combat muscle wasting due to the effects of HIV andAIDS. The FDA has very strict definitions of who can be prescribed HGH and what formulations can be used. Under the 1990 Anabolic Steroids Control Act, any distribution or possession of HGH with intent to sell for purposes not authorized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services is a felony. Although the FDA has banned human growth hormone for bodybuilding and weight loss, web sites still sell HGH over the internet. In sporting events like the Olympics, officials test for HGH and will disqualify anyone who tests positive. Since the 90’s, companies have been touting HGH as a miracle cure-all, one that can stop and even reverse aging, build muscle, destroy fat, and provide the user with a youthful vigor. These claims, for the most part,have been unsubstantiated.

An early study done by the New England Journal of Medicine found that adult males who were treated with HGH gained muscle mass and lost fat mass. The study was limited and the results were denounced by the journal because of the amount of shady web companies using the results to sell their products. Subsequent studies could not replicate the original results. Still, the study remains the most quoted by web sites selling HGH for weight loss. Further studies concluded that HGH was ineffective intreating obesity. Currently, there are no studies that measure the long-term effects or safety of HGH usage. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists does not recommend the use of HGH for weight loss. Web companies routinely sell HGH in the form of powders or pills. This would render the HGH useless, since HGH, when not injected, is broken down by stomach acids before it can be effective. HGH also has arange of side effects including joint pain, muscle pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, insulin resistance, and swelling in the arms and legs. These symptoms are especially profound in the elderly and can be potentially dangerous. The FTC has joined with a district court judge to put a stop to web companies who send emails advertising the sale of HGH weight-loss products. The FTC purports that the claims made by the companies are false and are not supported by evidence. In tests done by the FDA, drugsbought over the internet were of unknown quality and potentially dangerous. Drugs not approved by the FDA could contain dangerous additives and/or contaminated or expired product, and, as with most medications, there is a risk that the medication bought from a web site might interact negatively with a user’s current medication. Despite the crack down from various heath officials, web companiescontinue to sell HGH for weight loss and anti-aging purposes. The FDA continues to rally against these companies and has taken steps to better educate the public about online drug scams.

Dilated cardiomyopathy, the most common form of cardiomyopathy, is a chronic disease in which the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weakened, and thus cannot efficiently pump blood. The condition begins in the ventricles and, in severe cases, spreads to the atria. This can cause arrhythmia, blood clots, pulmonary edema, and even heart failure. There are many causes of dilated cardiomyopathy. Stress, alcohol, cocaineabuse, exposure to lead, vitamin deficiency, autoimmune illnesses, pregnancy, genetics, coronary artery disease, Lyme disease, infection, heart disease, and myocarditis are just some of the causes of this condition, if the cause is discovered at all. While the most common sufferers of dilated cardiomyopathy are adult men, the condition can affect anyone at any age. Dilated cardiomyopathy is usually treated by finding the source. When a source cannot be found, doctors concentrate on reducing the symptoms and preventing any further damage. Drugs prescribed for treatment include ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, diuretics, anticoagulants, and vasodilators. Other times, devices like pacemakers or LVADs may be implanted. There is no cure, only treatment.

With children, the most common treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy after medication is transplantation, which poses a problem, as there is some difficulty in finding donors. In 40 percent of cases affecting children, medical treatments are not enough to stem the illness and, if transplantation is not an option, the most likely outcome is death. Currently, there are no available medical therapies that can effectively treat dilated cardiomyopathy in a large percentage of affected children. It is important to find other ways besides transplant to combat dilated cardiomyopathy in children. In 2004, a study was published about the possible uses for human growth hormone in treating dilated cardiomyopathy in children. In animals and adults, when the cause of dilated cardiomyopathy is decreased serum levels of growth hormone, the application of growth hormone was shown to improve the function of the left ventricle and aid in the acquisition of ventricle mass. The study administered to the eight participants either a conventional therapy combined with the recombinant growth hormone or only the conventional therapy. Although two participants had to drop out to undergo transplant procedures, the results were that patients who underwent the growth hormone therapy had a higher level of improvement overall than those who only received the conventional therapy, and that they continued at this higher improvement level 6 months after discontinuing the growth hormone treatment. The one major side effect that affected all participants who were administered growth hormone wasan increase in height. However, the growth hormone presented no significant adverse side effects that would prevent it from becoming a viable supplement to current medical therapies. The results are promising; however, because of the limited scale of the 2004 study, the results are not enough to say with any certainty whether growth hormone should be used as an alternative to current treatment options. More studies, on a larger scale, will have to produce the same results before it can be said that growth hormone is a viable alternative.

Growth hormone is a protein based peptide hormone, which is secreted into the bloodstream and acts on the muscle, bone, and liver. Recombinant human growth hormone uses DNA sequences that are produced in a lab, which creates genetic material from several sources, resulting in new sequences that are not found in biological organisms. Before recombinant human growth hormone technology, human growth hormone was harvested from cadavers. Natural human growth hormone releasers do not use these hormones and instead use a mixture of herbs to stimulate the pituitary gland, which activates the body’s natural production of growth hormone. Natural HGH releasers come in pill form and are usually ingested before bedtime. Human growth hormone is usuallynot taken orally as the gastric acids in the body can break down the hormone. The herbal pills are available in health stores and over the internet without a prescription. As the body gets older, the body goes through changes in composition,including a decrease in muscle mass and an increase in fat mass. Growth hormone iscurrently being touted as a cure-all for these and other complaints related to natural aging.

The effects of HGH, whether stimulated by natural HGH releasers or from another source, are increased muscle mass, improved skin, weight loss, stronger bones, and fewer wrinkles. One of the downsides of HGH is that it depletes potassium and restricts the action of insulin. People with diabetes are instructed to take care when using HGH releasers. Growth hormone is only prescribed for people suffering from wasting syndrome of AIDS or growth hormone deficiency. Most natural HGH releasers are not FDA approved, and therefore it cannot be said with certainty that a non-FDA approved product is effective. Herbal ingredients can vary from brand to brand and thus, the effectiveness varies as well as the potential for harmful side effects. The FDA does not condone the use of growth hormone for anti-aging purposes and clearly indicates that HGH is not to be used as a dietary supplement. Although distributing human growth hormone for anti-aging purposes or to enhance athletic performance is illegal, distributers selling natural HGH releasers fall into a legal loophole because their product does not contain any actual human growth hormone. Because of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, when advertising a dietary supplement, manufacturers are in charge of determining if their product is safe for humans. Because a company does not have to disclose any proof of the veracity of its claims, it is possible for a company to legally deceive the public. Furthermore, the FDA requires no documentation for proof that a company’s product does not cause adverse side effects, and although they are required to keep them, companies are not required to provide records of investigations into the potential dangers of their products. The manufacturer is responsible for establishing its own safety guidelines regarding how it chooses to manufacture its product.

Safety documentation is required only when a company adds a “new” ingredient to its product, and the FDA can then prohibit it from being used. Any existing products that the FDA deems hazardous can also be prohibited. Many websites advertising natural HGH releasers quote a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, in which male participants aged 61 to 81 with a concentration of an insulin type growth factor below that of a healthy young man, were given twice the dose of HGH that would be given to a younger male with growth hormone deficiency and, subsequently, the level of lean muscle mass was increased. They often neglect to note, however, that because the study was done over such a short period of time, the long-term effects of HGH are unknown. Also, overall quality of life, muscle strength, and endurance were not measured as part of the study. Furthermore, in the results of a study placing participants in a strength-training regimen with and without HGH, there was no difference between the two. The New England Journal of Medicine emphatically states that it does not support or endorse any natural HGH releasers.

Growth hormone for use in treating complaints relating to natural aging is still being researched. While some studies show beneficial effects for modifying body composition in the elderly, these results have yet to be replicated. Most studiespublished recommend exercising as a more natural and safer alternative to thepotential risks associated with taking a growth hormone supplement, as exercise isa natural way to activate the body’s own growth hormone secretion. Natural Health Product, Inc., a website that claimed to sell a supplement to reverse aging and increase the amount of growth hormone naturally produced by the body, was fined by the FTC for forgery of the ftc.gov email address, and misrepresentations in marketing, studies, research, evidence, and potential benefit from using the product. Another FTC case put a restraining order against Sili Neutraceuticals LLC for sending out emails advertising weight loss pills and human growth hormone releasers. The FTC stated in its complaint that the claims made by the emails were false and unsubstantiated. In June 2002, 51 scientists went on record in Scientific American to denounce any medicine sold as anti-aging, including the use of growth hormone as an anti-aging treatment. The article states that not only is the health of the public injeopardy, but the credibility of science itself is potentially damaged by such claims, making it more difficult for the scientific community to keep the public informed about real breakthroughs in research and medicine. The article concludes with a statement urging the general public to avoid any products that promise to reverse, stop, or slow the natural aging process.